With the property rates skyrocketing across the country, many individuals explore the option of availing a home loan for buying their dream house. While “home loan” is quite a familiar term, many people are often confused as to what is “loan against property”. Many home buyers often use the terms “home loan” and “loan against property” interchangeably, however, both these terms are completely different and serve different purposes. Here, we will try to understand the difference between a home loan and a loan against property and analyse under what circumstance you should avail of these loans.
Home Loan
A home loan is a high-value loan that you can avail from banks or financial institutions at a certain interest rate to purchase your desired property. You are supposed to repay the home loan in Equal Monthly Instalments (EMIs) within the fixed duration. Since a home loan is a secured loan, the purchased property acts as collateral. In case you default on the home loan, the lender has all the rights to seize the property to recover the loss. Therefore, you must evaluate your repayment capacity before applying for a home loan. Also, if you have a high credit score, you are more likely to get the home loan at an attractive interest rate. Hence, you must work towards improving your credit score before availing a home loan in India.
Let’s check out some of the major benefits of availing a home loan:
It helps you own your dream house and saves you from paying high rent.
It has a long repayment tenure. You can opt for a repayment tenure up to 20 years that allows you to repay the home loan easily without putting a strain on your finances.
Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, you can claim a deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh in a financial year. Whereas, under Section 24B of the Act, you can claim a deduction of up to Rs 2 lakh on the interest portion of the home loan.
With leading banks and financial institutions, you can easily avail a home loan online. No prepayment charges, allowance of balance transfer facility, attractive interest rates, and low processing fees are some other benefits of availing a home loan in India.
Now that you know about home loans and its benefits, it is time to learn about loans against property.
Loan Against Property (LAP)
A Loan Against Property (LAP) is a type of loan that allows the borrowers to avail a large sum by pledging their house or property as a security with the financial institution. The money obtained through a loan against property can be used for various purposes such as funding kid’s education, managing wedding expenses, setting up a business, etc. Since a loan against property is a secured loan, numerous banks and financial institutions are willing to offer this type of loan to the borrowers. Thus, if you require a large amount of money to take care of some financial needs, you can opt for a loan against property.
Some of the benefits of a loan against property are:
You can avail a high loan amount. The loan amount is usually 60-70% of the market value of the property being mortgaged.
Since it is a secured loan, the interest rate offered is comparatively lower than unsecured loans.
Loan against property often comes for a longer tenure and therefore, has lower monthly installments (EMI)
It is a multipurpose loan and can also be a great tool for debt consolidation.
The key difference between a home loan and a loan against property is that the former helps you finance the purchase of a property or house, whereas, the latter allows you to raise a large sum by pledging your property as a security with the lender. Depending on your financial needs, you can opt for any of these loan products. Lastly, make sure that you do some thorough research before availing a loan. Always opt for a reputed lender with good customer service to avoid any inconvenience later.
